Keselowski, Biffle involved in early crash at Kentucky

Jun. 30, 2013
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Brad Keselowski was one of several drivers caught up in a crash at Kentucky. / Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

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SPARTA, Ky. - Brad Keselowski was bumped and lost control of his car on lap 48 of Sunday's rescheduled NASCAR race at Kentucky Speedway, triggering the worst crash in the track's three-year history of Sprint Cup Series racing.

As Keselowski went down the frontstretch toward Turn 1, former teammate Kurt Busch went down on the apron and came back up on the track. When he slid up, he tagged Keselowski, who lost control.

Keselowski, last year's race winner, tried to save the car but couldn't. He drifted back up into the corner - right in the path of oncoming traffic - and his No. 2 Ford was crushed by several cars.

"It was just a wreck. Wrecks happen. We were just trying to be patient," Keselowski said after exiting the infield care center. "... No reason to race like an animal. I guess I'm on the only one who got that memo. I know he didn't intentionally wreck me, but there was no reason to drive down there."

Greg Biffle, Travis Kvapil and Dave Blaney's cars got the worst damage, along with Keselowski. Paul Menard and Landon Cassill also got a piece of the crash.

Biffle hit Keselowski so hard that it lifted the rear tires of the No. 2 off the ground. Then Kvapil and Blaney piled in.

"I just couldn't get it turned down to miss him," Biffle said.

All of the drivers climbed out of their cars. The race was red-flagged for cleanup, with cars parked for 18 minutes, 37 seconds. the drivers ran four laps under caution before restarting on lap 52.

Keselowski was not impressed when told that Busch had taken responsibility for the wreck.

"I'm still wrecked," he said. "He's smarter than that."

The contact was substantial, but Keselowski said he wasn't hurt. "It was a pretty good hit, but the backs of these Cup cars have a lot of safety zones in them," he said. "If there's a place to take a hit like that, that's the spot."

Keselowski has had only one top-10 finish in the past nine races. "We're just going to do our thing," he said. "We're just on a little streak of bad luck. It will turn around."

Keselowski and Biffle returned to the race after the midway point. Keselowski finished 33rd and Biffle 34th.